A Friend of Power
by abs2711
Summary: After running into bandits, and then Morgana, Arthur decides to go after his idiot servant who throws himself into unnecessary danger. set before 5x10. Reveal fic. BAMF! Merlin
1. always running into trouble

Merlin sighed. He was kind of getting tired of saving Arthur, nursing him back to health, and getting no credit and more chores in return. But, he was used to it, and he could tolerate it, so getting credit didn't really matter. Arthur would find out eventually.

He turned to look at the small fire he had built. This time, it had been bandits. They had been hunting, of course, and stumbled across them while following a deer trail. They had gotten away, but Arthur had taken a nasty gash to the head and a slash across his arm.

The only reason he survived was because of Merlin, as usual.

They had been sitting there for hours, Merlin tending to Arthur and making sure the fire burned bright with dry wood so there was no smoke. He was starting to get worried. They were expected back at the castle tomorrow morning, and he had no idea where they were, they had no horses, and Arthur was in no condition to run or fight off any new threats.

Arthur groaned.

He spun around quickly, staring at Arthur anxiously. Was he finally waking up?

After a few seconds of silence, with no movement from Arthur whatsoever, he sighed and turned around again, then stood up. He was going to need to redress his friend's wounds _again_. He had been using strips of cloth from his shirt, and now almost all of his sleeves were gone. He needed to keep busy, keep warm. Plus, keeping his hands busy kept his mind off of their depressing situation.

Of course, Merlin got hurt too- probably a sprained wrist, hopefully not broken, and he had a big cut running down his leg, but that wasn't his priority right now. Besides, the cut wasn't bleeding anymore.

Gathering the small game bag he brought with, he set out to gather herbs, and attempt to find food and water.

(.~.)

Arthur was so, so confused.

All he knew was one moment he was fighting, and the next he was blinking spots out of his eyes, painfully struggling to get up, and there was a little fire that slightly lit the small clearing he was in.

His head hurt. His arms hurt, especially the left one. He was shaking and sweating, but freezing at the same time, and it was dark. He wasn't quite sure if that was because of his weird vision or because it was _actually_ dark.

How long had he been out? What happened? Where was he? And_ why_ did his head hurt _so much_?

All of the questions only made his head throb more.

Then panic hit as a thought occurred.

_Where's Merlin?_

There it was, the thing that had been bugging him. He must've been the one to build the fire, bring him here, and dress his arm, right? But where was he?

If he was the one to do all of this, than that means he was alright, right?

A shadow fell across him.

He looked up quickly, startled, which just made his vision swim and the blood pounding through his head go _BangBangBang_, which made him dizzier and he was frantically blinking to clear his vision, grasping his waist where his sword _should_ have been- _where was his sword? Oh-_

"You're awake!"

He recognized the voice instantly, and relaxed. It was Merlin. How did he manage to sneak up on him like that? He was anything but stealthy.

He decided he'd blame it on his being ill.

Then he felt rough hands pushing him back down, and there was coolness on his forehead that made his head feel less painful for a few seconds, and he found that when he opened his eyes again the spots were gone and he could see Merlin staring at him with equal parts hope and anxiousness.

"Oh, quit it Merlin. You look like a crazed nursemaid," he muttered. His voice sounded painfully thin.

Merlin didn't reply, and instead started redressing his arm. Arthur opened his eyes again and looked at him, trying to figure out if he was hurt, but he couldn't see much of him in the dim firelight.

His mind was whirling with a thousand questions, but he settled on just one.

"What happened?"

Merlin looked at him sharply.

"_You _led us straight into a bandit camp, and then they knocked you over the head and you passed out. We were stuck there for two days, and I had to drag your sorry behind out of there. You're immensely _heavy_, by the way."

Arthur tried to process that. Merlin had dragged him here? How far away from the camp were they? He couldn't remember much. He had been confused. He remembered thinking- why did animal tracks lead them to bandits? And then he was fighting, and then his head had hurt _really _badly. How in the world did Merlin get out of the camp and get him away? There must've been eight, and Arthur took care of probably five.

But his head was throbbing again, and he could feel unconsciousness tugging at him, urging him into its black grips, so he let the questions go.

"Arthur, you need to sleep. Go on, I'll keep watch."

It didn't even occur to him that Merlin hadn't slept once, and his _head hurt so bad_.

Closing his eyes, he leaned back and allowed himself to fall into the black.

(.~.)

He woke up in what only seemed like a few minutes later, when in reality it was probably hours, to Merlin shaking him. His head felt a little better, at least.

Merlin looked worried and anxious, and he put his finger over his lips to silence any questions Arthur was about to ask.

Motioning him forward, they silently crept to the edge of their little hideout. When he saw what Merlin was so worried about, the blood drained from his face. How could she have found them?

She was calling something, turning around in a slow circle to look at the edges of large depression she was in. He listened harder.

"Arthur, my dear brother, come on out! Merlin, too! Come on, I know you're here. No point in hiding anymore. You've managed to escape, but I know you're here. There is no_ point_ in hiding. So come on out." Her voice was sickly sweet, slightly annoyed, but gleeful at the same time.

Arthur started to stand up. He was going to talk some sense into her, while Merlin stayed up here and-

"No. Arthur, I will handle this. You are not in any state to go charging down there," he pulled Arthur back down.

Sitting back reluctantly, Arthur glowered at the ground. Merlin was right. Even though he had just slept, and the only thing he had done was crawl up here, he was blinking spots out of his eyes. _Damn_, how hard had that guy hit him in the head?

He hated it when Merlin was right.

Merlin's face was serious, determined, like the look that he gave Arthur when he was being stubborn about something and he was trying to talk some sense into the King.

"Just stay hidden, no matter what," And then he was gone, down to the clearing where Morgana was waiting, before Arthur could get a word in otherwise.


	2. Determination and Hope

When she saw him walk into the clearing alone, she blinked in surprise.

"Where is Arthur?" She sounded _quite_ furious. Merlin smiled grimly.

"Arthur is far from here, safely away from you Morgana. I've made sure of that."

He scoffed. He was less than ten yards away.

He hated this. _He_ should be down there, not Merlin. Merlin was a clumsy oaf and he was bound to make some stupid mistake and get himself killed. He knew Merlin wouldn't give away Arthur's position though, he was far too loyal and too good a friend.

_Dammit, Merlin_.

"We will see about that."

She gestured to one of the five men surrounding the clearing, and he came forward, knocking Merlin to his knees. _She always let her anger get the best of her_.

Arthur stiffened. What was she going to do?

Merlin glanced up to where he hid, and gave the slightest shake of his head- _don't do it. Don't move._

"What should I do with you, Merlin?" Morgana mused. After staring at him thoughtfully for a few seconds, a wicked smile formed on her face. She gestured to one of her men and Arthur winced, his head throbbing in sympathy, when he hit Merlin hard on the head- knocking him to the ground unconscious.

It took all of his will to not charge out into the clearing right then and there. _It will do nothing to help him_, he reminded himself_. You are dealing with a sorcerer, they outnumber you five to one, and you are injured. You don't have your sword. You can't help._

Despite those reasons, it was still hard to sit and watch them drag his friend away.

He was going to go back to the castle, and get a few knights to help him track Morgana down and get rid of her as a threat once and for all. He was going to rescue Merlin too. He was too annoying to be able to survive for long.

(.~.)

When he stumbled out of the woods, he thought the guard positioned near the gate was going to have a heart attack.

"Sire?" the guard looked so confused, he was sure that if this was a normal situation he would've started laughing.

But, this so _obviously _wasn't a normal situation, and his thoughts were focused completely on what he needed to do.

"Help me to Gaius's chambers," he ordered. "And then get Sir Leon, Gwaine, and Percival. The guard looked even more apprehensive at having to help the King directly, but he followed his orders, almost running out the door when he had _finally_ gotten Arthur to Gaius. He couldn't really blame the guard though, he didn't look very strong and it wasn't every day your kind stumbles out of the forest, alone, and looking as if he had just been run over by a horse.

Once he had been cared for by Gaius, and the knights were there, he explained what had happened. Of course, he explained that it wasn't _his_ fault that the animal tracks led them straight to a bandit camp.

Gwaine had been uncharacteristically serious, sitting through the whole thing staring at Arthur intensely. It was kind of intimidating, like he was trying to demand something from Arthur. Probably _You idiot! Let me go right now and get Merlin, I'll be back in an hour._

"Morgana?" Leon exclaimed. "What was she doing there? Did she have the bandits working for her?"

Arthur frowned. That's what he had been asking himself all day.

"I don't know, but we need to find her and eliminate her as a threat once and for all," _and get Merlin_, he added silently.

Percival nodded, but his face gave none of his thoughts away. But, that was normal.

The knights seemed to understand, and they all stood up. "We will leave in an hour." Arthur announced, starting to stand up as well but wincing when his head throbbed at the sudden movement.

"Sire," Gaius interjected, looking at him sternly. "You need to rest. It won't do any good to go charging out there in the state you're in," it sounded so much like what Merlin had said to him last, that he didn't complain.

But once he was up in his chambers, lying in his bed after a nice meal and the fire warming him, he found he wasn't tired. What was happening to Merlin right now? While Arthur was sitting here, bathing in luxury and warmth and a full stomach, was Merlin lying on the cold ground, without any food, injured? What was Morgana going to do to him?

But eventually, in the early hours of the morning, he fell asleep into a dark dream.

(.~.)

He was running. He wasn't quite sure what from, but Merlin was beside him, and he looked terrified. That was enough to make him run faster, despite the sudden pain in his leg.

There was a lot of noise behind him, but he daren't look back for fear of tripping. Sparing a glance at Merlin, his brow wrinkled in confusion.

Merlin was looking at him with a resigned look, deep sorrow and guilt echoing in his eyes. _Merlin? What's wrong?_

Suddenly he wasn't beside him anymore.

He spun around, looking frantically for his servant.

The idiot was standing there, facing a beast that was quickly approaching, in a _defiant _stance. _What are you doing? _He was shouting.

But Merlin didn't look back.

The beast was close, running with a big loping gait- but it was all of a sudden dark, and he couldn't tell what the creature was. It was thicker than a griffin, larger than the questing beast.

The dark blur of the monster was almost upon Merlin now, and with a cry of desperation Arthur lunged forward, trying to reach his friend in time.

But he wasn't going to make it. He was too far away, and the beast was too close.

There was a flash of gold, so bright he had to look away, and when he looked back, Merlin was standing exactly where he had been, and the strange creature was lying on the ground.

(.~.)

Waking with a start, he winced when his head pounded and his eyes swam with the sudden blood rush.

He didn't think he'd ever had such a vivid dream before, and it was a_ strange _one. Much stranger than usual- but he shrugged it off. It was just a dream, and he had other things he needed to deal with.

Barely two hours later he was on his saddle and riding out with the knights; head slightly buzzing from the kiss for luck Gwen had just given him, and trying to remember how to get back to where he last saw Merlin.

Sadly, it was very easy to follow the trail he had gone stumbling back to Camelot on.

He decided it was because he wasn't well and his leg had been a hindrance.

They got to the clearing around midday, which was half a day faster than he had walked back to the castle, and by the time it was dark they had gotten a couple of miles down the trail. They had made good time, but he still felt itchy, jumpy, and he wanted to kick his horse into a run so he could_ get Merlin out of there right now._ And, of course, get rid of Morgana.

They made camp, but when Percival dished out the bowls of soup, he found he didn't have much appetite. He forced himself to eat some though, just to keep his strength up and because Gaius strictly told him to _eat and rest well_, _because if you don't your knights will be too busy rescuing you to help Merlin_. He had grudgingly accepted, mumbled something about Merlin not being the only reason he was going, and spurred his horse out of the castle walls.

The soup didn't taste as good as Merlin's.

He remembered how this kind of day would usually go- Merlin would make the soup, dishing it out, then all of the knights would jokingly get more and more until there was nothing left for Merlin, he would complain about them and tell them they were all going to get fat, and then they would pull out an extra bowl of soup that they had saved for him. Merlin would mock pout and when he thought no one was looking, he would grin as he was eating, watching the fire.

As he lay there, he found himself wondering, again, what Merlin was going through right now. He was numb from how many times he had wondered this throughout the day, and sore from all of the hard riding with his injuries.

Arthur rolled over, facing the fire. The dancing flames lulled him, repressing the thoughts whirling through his head until his eyes drooped, and he fell into a blissfully dreamless sleep.

(.~.)

Merlin groaned. _What happened? _The past day came back to him piece by piece as he cast around his memory.

Oh yeah, that's right. I was dragged behind a horse for a day, with only a couple drops of water and no food. His leg wound had started to act up again, so he couldn't walk. That would explain it.

His back _really_ hurt. It was probably bleeding, and scratched up. Too bad he couldn't do anything about it, seeing his hands were tied up. At least his stomach had stopped growling, but there was still a hollow ache that he knew was starting to sap his strength.

_At least Morgana didn't know about his magic, so she didn't take any precautions in stopping it. _

For some strange reason, that didn't give him much hope.

He slowly opened his eyes, squinting against the sudden brightness. That fire was _huge_. How did they find enough wood?

Well, he reminded himself, they do have Morgana. Magic works as well as wood.

Since it was still dark, that probably meant he had gotten about three hours of sleep. It was kind of hard to tell, since the trees blocked out the stars and his head hurt _really_ badly.

He hoped Arthur had gotten to Camelot safely. If the idiot came after him and got hurt, this whole thing he had gotten himself into wouldn't have been for anything.

Trying to suppress another groan from how bad his head hurt, he curled up into a tighter ball below the tree he had been leaning on, trying to keep some warmth.

It wasn't _this_ cold last night. Stupid weather needs to make up its mind.

One of the men noticed he was awake and nudged one of his friends, pointing. He watched warily as they lumbered over, trying to gauge by their faces what they were going to do.

Needless to say, he wasn't very good at reading peoples expressions- unless it was Arthur, of course.

" 'ey, boy!" the taller one laughed. "Finally awake?" Merlin glowered at them. What were they planning?

His companion grinned in agreement. "You should be getting as much sleep as you can right now, because you sure ain't going to get any for the rest of the week!"

"Yeah, Morgana's ga' some'in beau'iful _planned_ for you," he taunted, laughing again. Merlin had a feeling that they had _completely_ different definitions of beautiful.

He didn't reply, focused entirely on keeping his head upright so he could glare at them.

After they realized they weren't going to get anything out of him, they each kicked him in the stomach, _hard_, and walked back to the campfire, laughing.

He didn't get it. _What was the point?_ What was the point in harming someone for fun? How does _that_ give a man _pleasure_? He imagined they wouldn't fare any better than him if they were in his place.

And what did that man mean by _that_? _Morgana's got something beautiful _planned_ for you._

Suppressing another groan, he curled up into a tighter ball. No point in dwelling on it-he was going to find out tomorrow either way.

_Oh, I _can't_ wait_, he thought sarcastically, before making one last prayer to whatever being watched over Magical people of prophecy.

_At least keep Arthur safe. If I'm going to die, keep Arthur safe. _


	3. Captured and Alone

The night went by quickly, and after packing up camp and stuffing a piece of bread in their mouths, they were riding out.

He hoped that these were the right tracks and not some false trail. He shuddered to think of what would happen if they were delayed another day. Forcing the thoughts out of his mind, he spurred his horse on. Hopefully wherever Morgana had decided to stay wasn't far.

Every time they had to stop and find the trail again, his heart thundered and his breaths quickened as his eyes searched frantically, worry tightening his throat. He knew if he was panicking, his eyes wouldn't be as sharp, but he couldn't help himself.

_No_, he told himself._ You aren't worried. Merlin's an idiot, but Morgana doesn't have any reason to really harm him. If he keeps his mouth shut, that is. _

Unfortunately, he wasn't very good at reassuring himself.

When they had to stop at midday to rest their horses, everyone was glancing around, fidgeting and tense. Nice to know Arthur wasn't the only one who was worr- no, not worried, just concerned about Merlin (he realized that those where almost the exact same thing, and then took to ignoring his subconscious). Gwaine had been talking non-stop, and whether it was because he felt like he needed to fill the silence, lift their moods, or because it was some kind of distraction from his own thoughts, it was starting to get _really_ annoying.

If they were being truthful, it had been irritating from the moment he opened his mouth.

But, he tolerated it, if only because he was too exhausted to care.

Was this a trap? _Well, that didn't really matter- even if it was he would still go. _Where would Morgana go? Why did she want Merlin? Why had she wanted Arthur? Why does she have bandits _working_ for her? _If she offered money, the bandits would do anything._

_ Or if they're afraid of her._

He needed to keep his hands busy. If he was doing something with his hands, he wouldn't have as much time to think.

But, unfortunately, there wasn't much to do. So he settled for tending to his horse.

Stroking, feeding, watering, tightening the saddle straps, loosening them when his horse gave him a look- _oh, he was going mad. Now he was 'obeying' a horse because it gave him 'a look'?_ Sharpening his sword, peering through the trees, and then-

"Sire, I think we should go now."

Almost before Leon had finished the sentence they were all up on their horses and heading for the trail. Their steeds, seeming to sense their urgency, were straining at the reins, galloping when he let them loosen.

It was just before sundown when they arrived.

Arthur, realizing he had been gaping, closed his mouth abruptly and glanced around. His brow furrowed in confusion. Where were the guards?

It was a miniature fortress, unlike any he had ever seen.

Somehow, they had made it so it resembled an upside down bowl, arching above the trees in a great black mass. It looked even odder with the surrounding buildings- they were all square, large and black. How had Morgana managed to find _this_?

"So, I guess we just sneak in, get Merlin, and get out?" Arthur looked sharply at Gwaine, who shrugged.

"Nothing is ever that simple. Walk around the perimeter; see if there are any guards or side entrances. Meet back here by sundown." Everyone nodded and headed off, Gwaine with Percival and Arthur with Leon.

They didn't say anything, just giving each other a few puzzled glances every time they rounded a corner.

It seemed like the only way to get in or out was through the front door.

Gwaine just shook his head, while Percival looked at Arthur with grim determination.

Worry and wariness lay in the atmosphere as they made their way back into the forest to camp for the night. Mutually agreeing to wake and go in at sunrise, they all huddled in the little warmth the fire provided.

Few words were exchanged, dark and contemplative thoughts filling their minds.

(.~.)

It was probably bad that he wasn't conscious for most of the day.

Another day of dragging, taunts and ropes cutting into his wrists, wounds reopened on his back and leg, and his head _aching_.

So, he had been a bandit captive for a half a day with Arthur, then they escaped and he had been captured again. That makes this the third day of his second capture.

Otherwise known as the fourth day without food.

He was starting to _really_ hate these guys.

They had dumped him in some weird room, one with a soaring ceiling and no light, so it seemed as if it was infinite. The last human he had seen was Morgana, who had seemingly melted out of the darkness and fired magic at him, trying to get him to tell her who Emrys was. Apparently, since he was under Gaius's care, he was supposed to know.

He still smirked when he thought about her expression. She had looked enraged, and to no surprise lashed out in her anger.

His magic had surged forward on instinct to protect him, but he held back. As long as she didn't know, he had the advantage.

Too bad he wasn't very good at self-healing spells.

His screams had echoed oddly, bouncing back so it was as if there were a dozen other people being tortured. It wasn't much comfort though, because he knew he was alone.

Oh, he was definitely alone.

After Morgana had left, he had fallen into a weird semi-conscious state, zoning out so he was only aware of his labored breaths and _oh my gosh how is it possible to hurt that much _and having to, instead of using all of his will to try and not fall unconscious, use it to keep his magic from raging about the room, ripping him from his chains and collapsing the ceiling.

Eventually his magic had relented, allowing him to fall unconscious without worry.

Now, he had awoken to the slamming of a door and the distant sounds of fighting. He groaned. That was Arthur, wasn't it? As much as he'd like to get out of there, the only reason this had happened in the first place was so that Arthur would be _safe_, and now he's going to come charging in to save Merlin.

Hopefully the idiot didn't come by himself.

A figure melted out of the darkness.

"Arthur?" He croaked, wincing at how weak and raspy his voice was.

"Merlin!" Arthur was beside him in an instant, inspecting his chains and tugging at them experimentally. "What did she do?" his voice was strained, his expression furious.

He just shrugged, not wanting to go into details. Inspecting Arthur's face, he let out a sigh of relief. He looked much better than how he had left him.

Turning away from Arthur, he looked instead into the never ending darkness- not wanting to see his expression as he frustratingly tried to get the chains off of Merlin.

He tensed.

"Arthur, behind you!"

Morgana had appeared, sword already slashing down in a deadly arc.

(.~.)

Merlin looked _awful_. Every resolve he had about King's not worrying flew out the window as soon as he saw the state his friend was in. Yes, he wasn't even going to deny that Merlin was his friend. Everyone knew it was true.

He spun around at Merlin's cry, his sword meeting Morgana's with a deafening clang.

As soon as he met Morgana's eyes, his expression hardened.

"Morgana, what happened?" she froze at his question, features momentarily slacking in confusion and then stiffening in an expression of fury.

"You were once so nice, caring. I thought of you as my friend," she pushed against his sword, struggling against his strength. "You had a home among us, Morgana. Gwen, Gaius, even Merlin. How did this happen? What caused you to turn against those who loved you?

"Gwen was heartbroken, you know. Gaius was so sorrowful. He knew Morgana. Did you know that? Gaius and Merlin knew, and they still accepted you, they still cared for you. But you threw that all away. How hard is it to live like this, Morgana? Live alone, without friends- the only company you ever have would turn against you at the offer for more coin."

She stopped struggling and with a cry sent him flying backwards. The breath was knocked out of him, and as he struggled for air she came to tower over him.

"You don't know anything," she spat. "Gwen didn't know, Gaius and Merlin never understood. How it feels to be rejected and lied to by your own father, to have to lie and hide who you are because if anyone knew, you would burned. To be sentenced to death because of something you can't control." Arthur was at a loss for words, still trying to breathe. Even if he could, he wasn't sure what he would've said to that.

"Morgana," Merlin said, trying to reason. "You weren't alone. You had friends, who would've understood."

She spun on him. "And you! You poisoned me! You almost killed me!"

Merlin looked back at her with rueful eyes. "You gave me no choice, Morgana. You could've used your magic for good, proved Uther wrong. Instead you used it only for death and destruction."

She slapped him, and his head whipped to the side. Then she kicked him back to the ground, and whatever strength he had found to kneel and look her in the eye seemed to vanish.

Arthur stared at the exchange in confusion, than shook his head. Merlin could explain later. He started to get up, trying to creep up behind Morgana.

It didn't work very well.

She spun around, her hand out and eyes flashing as she muttered some unintelligible words, and he was thrown back again, landing on his hurt arm. He let out a cry of pain, gasping as he tried to get his breath back.

Then the worst thing happened.

Men melted out of the shadows, at least two dozen, quickly surrounding them- two of them dragging an unconscious Leon and dumping him on the ground, while four of them held down Gwaine and Percival, who were forced to their knees with their arms twisted behind their backs.

So much for rescuing Merlin and finishing off Morgana.


	4. The Reveal (dun dun DUN!)

"So, Arthur? Where is your courage now? Your strength?" she smirked. "Who's going to save you now?" His head was bowed, glowering at the floor. When he had tried to look her in the eyes, she had slammed him to the floor again, knocking his breath away. He had only just struggled back up.

"You're not going to answer me? What a shame," she pouted, turning to Merlin. "You still haven't answered me. Who is Emrys?"

Emrys? Who the hell was she talking about?

Merlin glared up at her, swaying slightly.

"Still being stubborn? Well, if harming Arthur didn't persuade you, then I guess I will have to keep on harming you until submission," she glanced at Arthur. "This is going to be _so_ much fun."

When Arthur cried out for Merlin as he started screaming, he was hit hard on the head. He groaned- the black spots were back.

(.~.)

"Stop," Merlin held his hand up. He was on his knees in the middle of the room, right in front of the gloating face of Morgana. His head was bowed from the pain, but he still struggled to stand. Morgana was too surprised he had enough strength to do so to stop him. "I'm not going to let you hurt me anymore. I'm not going to let you use me to hurt Arthur."

He glanced over to where Arthur was on his knees, barely able to keep himself from falling unconscious. The wound on his head had reopened, and it was bleeding freely down the side of his face.

Gwaine was being held down next to Percival, who had redoubled his efforts to get free when Merlin started screaming and was now being held down by three men. Leon was unconscious.

He was cornered. The only chance he had to get out was if he used his magic, but Arthur and the knights were there.

_But, _he reminded himself, _they are all wounded, or being held down by someone, and you are the only one able to stand up. _That was kind of pitiful too, because he was swaying on his feet, the only thing keeping him from falling unconscious was his own defiance and determination to help. And, of course, the magic and adrenaline coursing through his veins.

He glanced over to Arthur again, who had managed to look up, disbelief written all over his face.

Meeting his eyes, he gave him an apologetic look. _I'm sorry, my friend._

Hopefully he understood.

"How are you going to do that Merlin?" She taunted. "You are just a serving boy, nothing special, and you can't do anything to stop me. You can barely stand!" She motioned to her men, and they knocked the remaining who were conscious unconscious.

They were all going to have _really_ bad headaches after this.

He had been tortured by her enough, and now she had brought his friends into it. The cut on his leg had reopened, his head was throbbing, and every other part of his body seemed to ache from what Morgana had done.

"I am Arthur's protector, and I will not let you hurt him anymore. I thought we had already been through this, Morgana."

"Arthur's protector? How could you be Arthur's protector, when you can't even protect yourself?" As if to emphasize this, she waved the five men not holding someone down forward, no doubt to knock him around more.

His head already ached enough, and he really didn't want to hurt them. They were under Morgana's control; even if they were bullies, no one deserved that.

"How is that shack you have for a home, Morgana? Have you cleaned up the mess that was made?"

His words had the intended effect. She paused, studying him in disbelief, and motioned for her men to stop their advance.

"How do you know about that? You know Emrys? Tell me who he is!" She snarled. Her voice shook with anger.

He paused, looking her straight in the eye to make sure she knew he was being absolutely serious, and said,"I know… because I was the one who caused it."

It took her a couple of seconds to realize what he was implying, and then stumbled back a couple of steps in shock and fear.

"How…you…but," her eyes widened and she looked at him closer. "_You're _Emrys?!"

"That is what the druids call me," he echoed his previous words to Aggravaine.

He didn't dare look at Arthur to see if he was conscious. Hopefully not. And, hopefully Morgana was too afraid to attack him now, and then he could pretend he was bluffing.

But he knew he was kidding himself. It would just fuel Morgana's anger, or she would ask him to prove it.

She looked at him, and then Arthur. Realization dawned on her face, and she smirked.

"Ah, but does Arthur know? How does he feel about this Merlin?" she saw him stiffen and gave a thin smile. "Ah, so he doesn't. He doesn't know that Merlin, his most trusted friend and servant, is a sorcerer. How did you manage to hide it for so long, Merlin? How many times have you betrayed him by practicing magic?"

"Stop," he muttered.

He tried to erase all emotion from his face, but he could feel the shame and guilt radiating off of it. This was something he dwelled upon every day, something that haunted him in his sleep. He didn't want Morgana to know that, and he wanted her to stop talking- but at those words he felt himself deflate a little, loose a little strength.

She had a full blown triumphant smile now.

"How about the knights? They treat you like a brother, but if they really knew who you were, they would never speak to you again."

"Stop it," He muttered, a little louder. He was on his knees again, her words swirling through his head making him dizzy and nauseated.

"How long have you had to hide it Merlin? Running all of your life, acting like a fool when you are really a powerful sorcerer. How can you live with yourself, a friend to the person who burns your kind? How can you stand by when your kin are dying, crying out for help, knowing _you_ are the only one who can help- but if you did you would be killed by your closest friend?"

"I said, stop!" He smashed his hand on the ground, and Morgana jumped to the side just a second before the knife that sprung from one of the men's belt on Merlin's command flew past her. It would've impaled her on the spot.

She smirked, knowing her words had gotten under his skin.

"Come on, Merlin. _Emrys_. You can do better than that. Why don't you put on a little show for your friends?" She coaxed.

He looked up at her, in time to see she had thrown a wall of fire at him. He casually dissipated it, not even blinking as he wiped his hand through the air.

So, Arthur was awake now, huh? Knowing his luck, he had been awake through the entire conversation.

He couldn't bring himself to look at him.

Staring back at Morgana, he tried to decide what to do. He obviously couldn't do the knife thing again. He didn't really want to kill her, but what choice did he have?

He could practically feel Arthur's burning gaze on his head, willing him to turn around.

"I don't want to hurt you, Morgana," all of his anger had melted away and he sounded exhausted even to his own ears.

She laughed."Well, your reluctance isn't going to stop me, _Emrys,_" she used his name as a taunt. He didn't get that-what was she hoping to accomplish?

He didn't want to kill her. The image of her choking on the poison he gave her, looking at him with desperation and betrayal, kept coming back to him, and he had to shake his head to get rid of it. This wasn't Morgana anymore. She was different, no longer the kind person he had been friends with.

She fired spell after spell, testing him or trying to weaken him, probably, though they weren't that difficult to deflect. Even though he wasn't looking, he could feel the magic surging towards him, so with a wave of his hand he could deflect them, let them bounce back to her.

It was getting kind of boring.

When he made the wall of flame that had formed in a circle around him disappear, dancing with scorpions and snakes that vanished with a hiss, he finally looked back up.

Morgana was starting to look desperate, sweat beading on her brow, and he just _knew_ that Arthur was staring at him with betrayal and disbelief. Those seemed to be common emotions directed towards him lately.

"Stop Morgana. Let them go. You're not getting anywhere, and this has no point. Let them go, and I will come with you willingly."

She narrowed her eyes at him.

A sigh escaped his lips. _She's not going to take my offer._ No one could make it easy for him, could they? They always had to make every situation as difficult as they could.

She motioned to her men, and they came forward with a sword or knife in their hand. _She was going to kill the knights and Arthur, after attempting to kill me._

Nope, definitely not going to make this easy for him.

He didn't get it. Why did she think that her thugs could kill him, when she couldn't do it herself?

Alright, he was done being nice. She had forced his hand, and he was going to end this right here, right now. If that meant killing Morgana, then so be it.

He finally turned towards his friends, who were still being held down- now fully conscious- and looked each of the men working for Morgana in the eye. He gave them a look, one that said _I will not let you hurt my friends. You can go now and save yourself. But If you want to hurt them, you'll have to go through me._

A couple of them paused, but the rest kept on advancing and the ones that paused only stopped for a couple of seconds.

They probably figured they could take him down easy since they outnumbered him two dozen to one, thinking _oh, he's just a scrawny kid with a little bit of magic. _

He sighed again. He would try not to kill any of them, but he wouldn't make any promises.

His eyes flared, and their weapons started to burn, finally becoming too hot to handle and 24 swords and knives clattered to the ground at once, creating a clanging that echoed around the room.

Holding his hands out, he made two of the men smash into each other, then crashed them on top of two others, like what he did to Leon, Elyan, Gwaine and Percival when he needed to get on his horse.

Four down, twenty to go. He swiped his hand and a wind made six or so of them stumble, then used an invisible hand to push them roughly to the ground. He winced when their heads hit the ground, knocking them unconscious, but he couldn't do much about it.

He looked over at his friends, who were now free of the men holding them down, but they were just staring at him with wide eyes. He gestured for them to get up, tossing a fallen sword to Arthur so they would get the message. Then he turned back around and felled three more men before turning back to Morgana.

She wasn't there.

Did she _actually _flee? He used his magic to look around, effortlessly warding off one of the men who got close to him, but couldn't find her- she wasn't in the room anymore.

Now he was getting frustrated.

He tried looking down the hallways, and looked into most of the rooms. Had she gone outside?

By now the sounds of fighting were diminishing. He turned around, making sure all of his friends were still alive, and glanced Arthur having trouble fighting off two guys at once.

His eyes widened with worry. Arthur was already badly injured, and these guys were fresh and unwounded. At the next chance, he made one of the men loose grip of his sword, making it fly behind him and clatter to the stones. Arthur quickly struck his sword through his middle, and then turned to see the other bandit already on the ground.

Merlin had snuck up behind the other one while Arthur was distracted, tapping him on the shoulder and stabbing him as soon as he turned around.

After all, stabbing people in the back was not a good thing to do.

He gave Arthur a sheepish smile and shrug, not meeting his eyes and dropping the sword with shaking hands.

With all he had been through, Merlin was exhausted. His magic didn't take up much energy; it came naturally, but running around with that heavy sword and _picking up_ men with his magic? That was difficult. He hadn't slept in nearly three days, which didn't seem possible, but he didn't really count being unconscious from a knock to the head 'sleeping'.

Turning away from Arthur, he stumbled toward the middle of the room where he had been kneeling before and went back to looking through the corridors. He could only look so far, though.

Sighing, he resigned himself to turn around and face the situation. Gwaine was grinning- no surprise there. Leon looked stunned, and Percival just shrugged at him when he met his eyes.

He didn't meet Arthur's eyes though- they needed to get out of there before something else happened..

"Come on," he muttered, conjuring a small ball of flame to illuminate the area so he could find the doors.

Tonight was going to be a long night.


	5. On the way to Acceptance

So, this whole trip was for nothing.

This whole time, Merlin could've got out himself, and the only reason he stayed was to protect Arthur.

That seemed so backwards. Arthur had come here because he thought it was _his _duty to protect his friend, when all along Merlin was the one protecting him.

That thought ran through his mind over and over, until he was slightly numb from the shock and realization. _Merlin. Protecting Arthur. Merlin, his idiot manservant who wasn't really a manservant, but a powerful sorcerer. _

What in the world had Morgana been talking about? Why had she called him Emrys? Was Merlin even his real name?

He had even lied about his name.

He kept on thinking about how Merlin looked (Emrys?) when he had faced Morgana and the two dozen bandits. He had looked determined, but also resigned. Like he didn't want to fight them, but he knew he had no choice.

Why did Merlin, a sorcerer, care about his well being? Was that another lie? Did Merlin just want to kill him in revenge for magic like so many other sorcerers had tried before?

His head hurt. Questions and theories, running running running through his head and he could feel himself swaying and stumbling as they walked.

Merlin appeared next to him.

Without a word, he wrapped Arthurs arm around his shoulders, taking his weight to help him walk.

Arthur just stared. He was too tired, and his head hurt too much to deal with this right now. He knew that Merlin was hurt too, his face was bruised and he was limping, a gash on his head openly bleeding, but he was helping Arthur.

A _sorcerer_ was helping Arthur.

They soon got to the tree line and Gwaine led the way back to their camp- a cheerful smile on his face but not saying a word.

How could Gwaine be so cheerful about this? Merlin, one of his best friends, was a sorcerer. He had been lying- for how long?

Merlin was bandaging his head and shoulder, carefully avoiding his eyes.

He didn't get it.

This man looked like Merlin, acted like Merlin, _sounded_ like Merlin, but… he had lied. How can someone lie for that long? How had he hid it from Arthur, when they had spent almost every single hour of the day in each other's company? How many other things had Merlin lied about?

He finally found his voice.

"So, it was all a lie?" Merlin froze. He had been bandaging a few of Arthur's ribs, which had cracked from all of the times Morgana had thrown him to the ground.

"Were you ever really my servant, or did you just pretend to be so that you could get close to the throne? Did you finish all of your chores with magic? How many times have you lied to me?" his voice was a little shaky from anger and hurt.

Merlin looked down. "Why do you always assume that?"

"What?"

"That people only want to take the throne. I understand a little bit, because of Aggravaine and Morgana, and all the others who have tried to harm you to get revenge or get the throne. But there are countless other people in Camelot and outside of Camelot, who don't want to harm you. You're focusing on the bad people. Why not focus on the good?"

He was a little stunned from that statement.

"Magic doesn't have to be used for evil. You only see it like that because that's what your father taught you, and you've never seen it used for good because just the mere thought of magic got people executed. The druids use their magic for good, save people's lives. Why is it so hard to believe that others can do that too?"

What was he supposed to say to that? He was hurt- betrayed by another friend because of magic. But it's not like he could say _because everyone I know that has touched magic, has turned against me_, because that would just be proving Merlin's point, and that just wouldn't be acceptable. So instead, he just took to staring at him again, trying to see any difference.

He couldn't find one.

How was it that _Merlin_ with magic didn't look any different, when Morgana with magic was filled with rage and a frozen heart?

"I have only ever used my magic for you Arthur. To protect you. That has been my whole life, the whole reason I came to Camelot in the first place. It's my destiny." His voice sounded a little desperate now, begging Arthur to understand.

He couldn't deal with this right now. Couldn't make any decisions with his head and shoulder pounding like this. So, instead of replying he turned his back on his friend, curling up and closing his eyes.

He didn't fall asleep for hours.

(.~.)

Well, that could've gone much worse, he supposed.

Arthur could have yelled at him, banished him or executed him on the spot.

Instead he had barely said a word, just staring at him in that unnerving way of his, causing him to talk fast and stumble over his words because of the pressure in his gaze.

He hated the look of betrayal and confusion in his eyes.

Thankfully the knights hadn't over heard their conversation- they were busy setting up camp, getting firewood, tending the horses, purposely avoiding them when they sensed the tension. When he had started making supper, they had come and sat by the fire.

His stomach was back to grumbling, begging him for food, but he didn't eat. He had to tend the knights' wounds first, and he had lost his appetite when he thought about how many people he had hurt today with his magic.

When he was finished bandaging Gwaine's arm, standing up to tend to Percival, he was stopped by a hand on his wrist. Gwaine tugged him back down, looking him in the eye for a second.

"You should tend to your own wounds, Percival's can wait."

When he tried to stand back up, mumbling something about them needing it more than he did, he was stopped again.

"If you don't let us help you, and your injuries get worse, than you won't be able to help anyone," when he shook his head, Gwaine groaned. "C'mon, Merlin. You're hurt! You were in their captivity for _four days_. You need to let someone else help you for a change."

Percival nodded. "It's okay, Merlin. The whole point of this trip was to help you. If we return to Camelot with you dead, Gaius won't be very happy."

Merlin sighed thinly at their reasoning. They were right- if he returned home with uncared for injuries, Gaius would give him a good scolding and make him clean the leech tank.

His face pinched. That was going to happen anyway, when Gaius found out that four more people knew of his magic.

He _really_ didn't want to clean the leech tank any more than he already had to.

When he had taken off his shirt, and Gwaine had seen the bruises and cuts, his eyebrows had creased in worry. He started bandaging them, with a gentleness he hadn't known the knight possessed.

Why were they helping him, when he had lied to them?

"Merlin," Gwaine said, "just because you have magic doesn't mean I'm going to automatically hate you. Sure, I'm a little hurt you didn't tell me, but I get why you did it. I've seen quite a few things in my travels, and I have no idea why you would come to _Camelot_ of all places, but I'm okay with it. Just, next time you have a secret that could get you killed, tell me, alright?"

Did he say that out loud?

Oops.

But he nodded anyway, slightly relieved. At least he still had one friend.

Percival nodded in agreement, and Leon studied him for a second before nodding also.

"You have a lot of bravery, Merlin, and you've saved Arthur's life so many times that I find it hard to believe you have ever had any ill intent. Just be careful, alright?"

He managed a grin. "When have I ever not acted with the _utmost_ carefulness?"

"Considering how clumsy you are, I'm just surprised that you haven't accidentally used magic and gotten caught before."

He grinned sheepishly. "That's happened a couple of times, actually. Lancelot accidentally found out that way, and Gaius." It was so strange, talking about his magic openly. But it was also, in a strange way, really nice.

When he found the knights staring at him, waiting for him to explain, he felt his cheeks heat up slightly. "It really isn't all that interesting of a story."

And then Gwaine was asking question after question, barely letting Merlin finish before asking the next, and Leon and Percival were watching him as he tried to make his adventures sound less terrifying and difficult than they actually were. He knew Arthur was listening too, because when Arthur was asleep he had a nice steady breathing pattern, inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth, and now they were real deep.

He only hoped that all of these tales didn't make Arthur hate him more.

(.~.)

He was starting to _really_ hate being confused.

There had been way too much of it in the past few days, in his opinion.

So, apparently, Merlin was a lying, powerful _sorcerer_ and he had spent all this time in Camelot protecting him. And also, he was born with magic.

How was that possible? Didn't you have to study magic; choose it?

Everything that his father had taught him and everything Merlin had said was whirling through his mind.

Is it possible, though? Was it possible to have magic, _power_, and not be corrupted by it?

He hoped so, because he really didn't want to lose Merlin.

Yes, he had just admitted it. Merlin had been his first true friend, and God knows what kind of king he would be without him. He had stood by his side for so long, and now that he thought of it, the magic thing made sense. It made all of the things he had wondered about his friend fall into place.

And besides, Arthur had power, right? He had been born into royalty, with no choice in the matter. Was it the same kind of situation with Merlin?

When Merlin had taken his shirt off so Gwaine could tend to his wounds, Arthur had risked opening his eyes a little. He had been shocked. _Merlin had gone through all of that… for him? _

Why was Merlin so selfless? He had refused to eat, giving all of the food to Arthur and the knights, even though he probably hadn't eaten in days. He had tried to tend to everyone's wounds first before Gwaine stopped him, even though his were much worse. And now, he was trying to be modest about all he had done for Camelot. His words sang in his ears.

_I have only used my magic for you, Arthur. To protect you. It has been my whole life. My destiny._

So the only reason he had come to Camelot was for destiny? Was he even really his friend? Try as he might, it was really hard to believe that all of the laughs, smiles, jokes they had shared had been fake.

The next day, when they stopped at midday to rest and eat, Arthur looked at Merlin. He looked as he always did, even if his smiles were a little smaller and he kept glancing over at Arthur, like he was afraid.

That hit him like a blow to the stomach.

Was Merlin afraid of him?

That almost hurt more than the lies.

He looked closer. No, they were cautious looks, like he was afraid Arthur would suddenly start yelling at him.

Walking over to Merlin, he allowed himself one question.

"You were born with magic?"

Merlin looked a little surprised, "Yes, I was condemned to death the moment I took my first breath."

Well, that was more of a blunt answer than he expected.

He tried to process that, allowing himself one more question before walking back to his horse. "What did Morgana mean, when she called you Emrys?"

"The druids call me that. It's a name of prophecy- a prophecy that says that I will help the once and future king unite the land of Albion, and magic would be free once more." He looked a little wary as he answered.

He stopped mid-stroke, and his horse looked at him questioningly.

_I will help the once and future king unite the land of Albion. _Did that make him the once and future king?

"Merlin," he called, and once Merlin was standing next to him, he ordered, "show me."

He looked so confused; Arthur would've laughed if he wasn't being so serious. When realization dawned on his face, and then hope, Arthur allowed himself to be a little curious.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Show me how magic can be used for good."

Merlin smiled, looking down as he cupped his hands, and blew into them. When he opened them again, a blue butterfly flew out- more pure and beautiful than he had ever seen, and so innocently Merlin that he didn't even flinch when it landed on his nose. A warmth filled him, unlike any he'd ever felt before, and his head cleared.

Did that little butterfly, the one that Merlin _conjured_ out of thin air, just heal him?

Merlin was still smiling that smile, the one that radiated hope and happiness.

Arthur looked at him. "Have you healed me with magic before?"

Merlin nodded, smile turning a little sheepish. "When you were poisoned, and I've healed you of love spells, if that counts."

He got on his horse, motioning for everyone else to do the same, and when Merlin stumbled over a root as he was walking to the one they had brought for him, Arthur's brow creased. Was Merlin's clumsiness a lie, or was he just a natural at looking like an idiot?

Most likely a natural idiot.

The rest of the day was spent listening to Gwaine and Merlin talking, with Leon and Percival interjecting to add to a tease at Gwaine's expense every once in awhile.

How did they accept it so easily? Was he over thinking this?

So Merlin was Merlin. And he had been a sorcerer all of his life, without any control over it. He thought back to what Morgana had said- _you don't understand, how it feels to be rejected and lied to by your own father- to have to lie and hide who you are because if anyone knew, you would burned. To be sentenced to death because of something you can't control. _

How come Merlin used his magic for good, when he was in the exact same situation as Morgana?

_He has a good heart._

That was something Gwen had told him, long ago. Could that be it? Maybe magic was like a sword, and the person wielding it had the choice what to use it for. Merlin had just given him an example of good magic, hadn't he?

So couldn't that mean that Merlin wasn't corrupted by magic like Morgana?

(.~.)

It was dark, they had finally coaxed Merlin to eat something (watching with amusement as he practically inhaled the food), and they were all lying by the fire, asleep. Well, everyone but Merlin and Arthur, that is.

"Why did you lie to me?" Arthur asked. As much as he hated to admit it, he had already gotten over the fact that Merlin had magic.

"I didn't want you to have to choose between me and Camelot, or me and your father. And, it just never seemed like the right time. I've never _actually_ told anyone, most just find out by mistake."

He thought about that. "I want you to tell me everything. No more lies, please."

(.~.)

Merlin's mind was reeling. Arthur had asked nicely! Said _please_!

Arthur must be really hurt, and desperate.

His throat tightened at the thought. He had never wanted to hurt Arthur, only help- but here he was, Arthur finally _knows_, and he had hurt him.

_A half cannot truly hate that which makes it whole._

He clung to this statement, desperately hoping that it was true.

"I promise. Anything you want to know." Arthur's show of curiosity, even though it was backed by hurt, showed that he had begun to accept him. Hopefully, after he had told Arthur the _full_ truth, he would accept that Merlin had only lied to help him. To help Camelot.

And, hopefully, they could have a true friendship, one that wasn't shadowed by his secret now that is was revealed.

_The once and future king- to unite the land of Albion with the most powerful sorcerer in all creation by his side. _

He smiled at the thought. 

_So, there you go- the last chapter. Thanks for all of your support! I might post another short story, about what happens when they get back to Camelot and their struggles in keeping his secret and stuff. By the way, the thing where Gwen says he has a good heart, that's just something I added. I don't think she actually said that in the show… maybe I'll make a fic about that. Thank you for reading!_


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